Sometimes art changes the way we see the world. An art piece might lift your spirits and you might feel happy enough to hold the door for a stranger. The stranger, in turn, volunteers at a soup kitchen. Then the planet is better off because of someone’s creativity. It all starts with one person.
Ratchet and Clank changes the way I see the world; I see it through a cheerful lens. Now, most good video games help me to relax. Ratchet, though, lifts my spirits and makes me a more pleasant Lombax – I mean human – to behold.
The combat, cut-scenes, characters, and colorful design cheer me up. I’ve only played A Crack in Time and part of the HD collection, but I’ve discovered what I like about the series. Let me tell you why I love the Ratchet and Clank games.
The games have cute characters. I’m not sure what a Lombax is, but I’m pretty sure most children would want a plush version for themselves. Perhaps the character’s wide eyes, small stature and good nature explains its appeal. I feel a child like joie de vivre when I see Ratchet’s face.
The quirky characters bring a smile to my face. They don’t walk around with frowns painted on their faces like “emo” teens. So I appreciate the games’ character design, and love even more to play as them.
The games offer a variety of fun things to do when you play as Ratchet or Clank. Unlike your average shooter, you don’t kill enemies all the time in these games. You can explore alien worlds, jump between platforms, and blaze through planets in hoverboots. You can refresh yourself while you fly off a huge jump and linger in the air. Nothing like that fresh air!
You will want to explore and do crazy jumps in these games’ environments. The bright and colorful environments contrast with the drab, brown shooter de jour.
And while you explore these settings, you might as well collect some things. Why should anyone collect items in these games? You should collect bolts in Ratchet to upgrade your guns so they are more powerful. Oh, and you might find a certain weapon that shoots rockets while it blasts music from Tchaikovsky. That is only one of the game’s many stellar weapons.
It’s worth the time to collect and try the varied weapons. Every military shooter has an assault rifle, but not many games have a weapon that makes people dance. Even fewer games have weapons that could save the world.
I know why I love the Ratchet games: they have great characters, environments and weapons. There is also a cartoon like quality to the characters and worlds that appeals to me.
I’m happy to hear that a new Ratchet and Clank game is on the way. Let the game begin!
Video Games Nebula 